Inflating device



May 7, 1946.

W. H. FREYGANG .INFLATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 28, 1944 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT-0R A TTORNE Y May 7, 1946. w. H. FREYGANG INFLATING DEVI CE Filed Jan. 28, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR Ji A TTOYRNE Y I Walter EFr-e BY 7, 39%; w. H. FREYGANG 2,39%670 INFLATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 28, 1944: v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVETOR BY flyjwry (Aw-Ml 7 5.9 A TTORNE Y Patented May 7, 1946 T ED STAT ES PAT O F F 1 C E 7 2,399,670 I mFLATING styles Walter H. Freygang, Essex- Fells, N. J as'si ghor to 'Kidde Manufacturing Incl, a corporation bf Delaware Application anua'ry 28, 19 1 1, serial No;

16 Claims.

The presentinvention relates to inflatingfmeans oi the type employing "stored high pressure fluid 'n'i'ediumv for inflating or distending devices subiect to effects. from water or other liquid, such as life'f-ve'st's or belts for individual use, life-boats or rafts ror the usemof one or morepersons, and flotation bags ofthe character utilized. for preventing the sinking'of aircraft when the latter are not otherwise in condition to float upon a body otwatr. One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide, an inflating device so constructed andarranged whereby a desirable proportion of air from the atmosphere may be mixed with stored high pressure fluid medium for inflating a flotation device in order to reduce the quantity of. the medium and the size and weightoi its container with relation to the quantity of the medium and size and weight of thecontainer heretofore required for inflatingsimilar flotation devices, thus, making it possible to equip flotation devices with smaller and lighter containers and, if desired, to conserve a quantity of the inflating medium for future use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inflating device of the foregoing describedcharacter equipped with means for insuring inflation of the flotation device in instances where the air is. not available due to the submerged condition of the means through which the air is supplied. A further object of the invention is to provide selector means operable by a fluid. medium for selecting a predetermined type of fluid medium for mixture with the operating fluid medium and for precluding the mixture ofthe operating fluid I medium vvithan undesired type of fluidrnedium. A S i l rther b e of th nve on s .to infer ride-an infl n device of t mean n e cr b ara er whic i im l in c nstru ti durable in Wwmsi nt i cner mev nom al n m ua ure ea pf, as em y. d lvsub tu a le for devices not having its novel attributes, and which lends itselito mass production. v V

Other and f urther objects of the invention will be obvious uponan understanding or the illu s-. trative embodiments about to be described, or will be indiw di t nde a ms n ya ws advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

Ei f qi ime s Of the nve o'n ve b n hQsen for purposes of illustration and description and a e s own in the aq p ny l dra forming apart of the specificatioll, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of life are in inflated. condition equipped with an inflating device, illustrating an embodiment of the invenhistle 2 is iohgitudina sectional view of an injector associated with the inflating device.

Figure; is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged "bale, takenon the line '3-3 of Figure 2,

illustrating a fluid Isele'ctor valve.

r fgurQe 4 is a sectional view taken on the line or Figure 3, with the valve members in closed Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure i but illustrating the valve members in open or outer positions, u

1?i g:ure '6 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of the injector.

Figure 7 is a longit'udinal section of another modified form time injector.

I h practisingthe invention, as illustrated in figures} to 5 ofthedrawings, there is provided an injector comprising elongated body t formed with a pair or cylindrical end portions constituting, for the purpose of description, inner outer portions 5 and 6, respectively. The outer portion ,6 is of greater diameter than the inner portion '5, and is formed with a partition 1' defining outer fluid selecting and inner air receivmg. chambers}! and 9, respectively. The outer end wall I!) of the chamber 8 is provided with fluid inlet apertures l I while the partition is provided with air admitting openings 12.

The inner portion 5 is connected to a life raft R by in'eansoia fitting l3 and is provided, adjacc'rlttothefltting, with a check valve assembly it erable for permitting fluid to be introduced W said raft f or inflating the same and in a in nner hereinafter disclosed. Interiorly, the portion 5, is formed with a Venturi passage i5, communicatingwith the air receiving chamber 8 and the check valve assembly M whereby fluid is conveyed to the raft through said check valve ass mbly.

ll nozzle i6 is coaxially mounted in the air receiving chamber 9 and is formed with a cylindrical intermediate portion I1 and with hemis' pheri'c'al and frustum-shaped ends it and I9, respectively, to.define a streamlined body. The hapedmd I9 is disposed towards the inner portion 5 .ahdis provided with a discharge orifice 2d, fordirecting fluid from the nozzle it into the Vehturi passage 15. l

w he n ozzle I 6 has connected thereto, one end of a hduit or pipe 2}, which extends through the i cton andhasf its other end connected to a control head 22 of a container 23, the latter containing a high pressure fluid medium, for instance, carbon dioxide. The control head 22 is of a well known construction and may be provided with the usual valve operating hand wheel 24 for effecting release of the fluid medium in the container whereby said fluid medium is discharged to the nozzle.

Disposed within the fluid selecting chamber is a selector valve mechanism (Figures 3, 4 and 5) comprising a disc 25 fixed to a shaft 26 rotatably journaled in the partition I and the end l8 of the nozzle. The disc 25 is formed with a plurality of air openings 2? controlled by valve members 26 slidably mounted in guideways 29 carried by the disc 25. The valve members are urged towards the shaft 26 by means of leaf-springs 36 mounted on the disc and which slidably engage pins 3| carried by the valve members, the latter being provided with weights 32 for actuating the valve members outwardly against the tension of the springs, to uncover the openings 21 in a manner hereinafter made apparent. The ends of the shaft 26 have fixed thereto rotors 33 and 33' operatively disposed in the chamber 8 and the nozzle |6, respectively.

In use, (assuming the life raft is launched in deflated condition upon the water and that the apertures H in the wall l6 are disposed above the water, and the fluid pressure medium is released from the container 23, by operation of the hand wheel 24) the fluid medium is introduced into the nozzle l6 and is discharged therefrom through the orifice 26 into the Venturi passage 5. As the fluid pressure medium is discharged into the Venturi passage l5, it draws air from the air receiving chamber 9 into the Venturi passage where it mixes with the pressure fluid medium to form a mixture, for instance, 50% air and 50% fluid pressure medium. This mixture is introduced into the life raft through the check valve assembly l4 and the fitting 3 and thus effects inflation of the life raft. 7

As the pressure medium flows through the nozzle l6, it operates the rotor 33' therein and thus efi'ects rotation of the shaft 26 at relatively high speed due to the high pressure of the fluid medium. Rotation of the shaft 26 serves to rotate the disc 25 with the result that the valve members 28 are actuated outwardly with respect to the shaft 26 and against the tension of the springs 60 due to centrifugal force. When the valve members are actuated outwardly, they uncover the openings 21, thus establishing communication between the chambers 8 and 9 through the openings l2 and 21. Rotation of the shaft 26 operates the rotor 33 which, inv this instance, serves to draw air into the chamber 6 through the apertures I.

In the event that the injector is submerged and water enters the chamber 8 through the apertures I, the rotation of the shaft 26 will be decelerated due to the water having a greater mass than air and acting upon the rotor 33. When the shaft 26 is thus decelerated, the valve members 28, under the influence of the leafsprings 36, will be centripetally operated with respect to the shaft 26 and close the openings 21 to preclude admittance of water into the chamber 9. When the openings 27 are closed, a larger Volume of the fluid medium from the container23 is utilized for inflating the raft.

In Figures 6 and 7 modified injectors are illustrated. These injectors are adapted to be used in connection with, for example, a generally ringshaped, bottomless flotation device, either side of which may constitute the lower surface when the device is launched. The injector is positioned equidistantly between the upper and lower suraces of the device to enable air from the atmosphere to enter the injector. Ordinarily, this position of the injector is above the water line. or is at least above the high water line. However, in some instances, due to heavy loading of the flotation device, the injector is frequently disposed below the load water line, thus cutting off the supply of air from the atmosphere for mixture with the fluid medium during inflation of the device.

Inorder to overcome this difficulty, and as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings, there is provided a selector valve mechanism comprising a tube 46 having upper and lower ends, and with the upper end being reversely curved to provide a valve portion 4| which is normally maintained above the longitudinal axis of the body 4 and the load water line. The valve portion 4| is provided with upper and lower chambers 42 and 43, respectively, and which chambers are separated by a valve seat 44. The lower chamber 43 is provided with a bottom wall 45 formed with openings 46 while the circumferential wall is provided with openings 47. Contained within the lower chamber 43 is a valve member 48, in this instance, a ball constructed of cork. The valve member 48 normally is disposed in spaced relation to the valve seat 44 to permit air from the atmosphere to enter the tube through the valve seat and the openings 46 and 41 when the portion 4| is disposed above the water.

Between the upper and lower ends, the tube 46 is provided with a laterall extending section 49 pivotally connected to the wall l6 of the portion 6 whereby air from the valve portion 4| is introduced into the air receiving chamber of the body. The lower end of the tube 46 is closed by a weight 56 which functions to. maintain the valve portion 4| above the body, regardless of which surface of the raft is submerged, whereby air may enter the selector valve mechanism.

Should the valve portion 4| become submerged during the operation of the device, water entering the lower chamber 43 through the openings 46 and 41 will cause the valve member 48 to be floated into closed relation with the valve seat 44 and thus preclude water entering the air receiving chamber of the section 6. When the valve portion 4| is disposed out of the water, the openings 46 serve to drain the water from the lower chamber 43, thus permitting unseating of the valve member 48.

In instances where relatively small containers are used for storing the carbon dioxide, the container may be utilized as a weight in lieu of the weight 56 disclosed in Figure 6. In a construction of this character, as illustrated in Figure 7, a container 59 is provided with a control head 66 equipped with a laterally disposed hand wheel 6| for operating the control head and with a fitting 62 secured within the lower end of the tube 46 and having connected thereto the lower end 63 of a pipe 64. The pipe 64 extends through the laterally extending section 49 and lower end of the tube 46 and has its other end65 secured within the rear end or hemisphericalportion of a nozzle 66, whereby fluid medium from the container 59 is conveyed through the nozzle 65 for discharge therefrom.

In the inflation of a flotation device by a stored high pressure fluid medium, approximating 1000 lbs. per square inch, it is necessary that aeeegevo the me'dium be 'intro'duced into 'the device at a relatively lo'w pressure ranging rroma few elun'cs to "a few "pounds per square inch in "order "to preclude over-inflating. Heretofore, noadvantage has been taken of the energy of the medium at high or relatively high pressure, with the result that considerable energy was Wasted upon the-reduction of the pressure to a low pressure. The invention permits the utilization of this :previously wasted energy in a manner wherein it serves to draw in and mix-air with the medium, thus, permitting the flotation device to be fully in'flatedwith a mixture of pressure medium and air with a resulting low requirement in the amount of high pressure fluid medium initially necessary I or the inflation.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that this lower requirement permits the use of a rel atively smaller and iighter container for its s'toi: age and-if desired, a quantity of the medium may be retained in the container for future use after initial'discharge.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts here in, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. i

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope'of the invention which, as a matter of language, might besaid to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising, a body provided with a fluid receiving chamber and formed with a Venturi passage communicating with said chamber and a receiver, a nozzle disposed in said chamber for discharging a fluid medium into said passage for mixture with a fluid of predetermined density, and means operable by the fluid medium for permitting the admittance of the fluid of predetermined density into said chamber to the exclusion of a liquid.

2. A device comprising a body formed with fluid receiving and fluid discharging portions and with the latter portion formed with a Venturi passage, means in said fluid receiving portion adapted to be connected to a source of fluid medium supply and arranged for discharging fluid from the supply into said passage in a manner to convey a fluid from said fluid receiving portion into said'passage for mixture with th fluid medium discharged by said means, and means affected by liquid for controlling the fluid to be conveyed into said passage for mixture with said fluid medium.

3. In means for distending an inflatable flotation device, the combination of a fluid medium container, means for connecting said container to the flotation device and supplying the latter with fluid medium from said container and operable to provide for mixture of air with the fluid medium, and means affected by liquid for precluding the admittance of liquid for mixture with said fluid medium. 7

4. In a device for distending an inflatable flotation device, the combinaiton of a fluid medium container, means for connecting said container to the flotation device for supplying the latter with fluid medium from said container, said means including selector means operable by the fluid medium for permitting introduction of air into said connecting-means for mixture with the fluid medium and operableupon the admittance of Water into said connecting means for controlling the adinittance of the. water in a manner to preclude mixture with the fluid medium.

5. In'means for distending an inflatable flotation device of normally deflated condition, the combination of high pressure fluid medium containermeanaan injector having an air inletsub ject to submersion in water and provided for connection between said container means and the flotation device for supplying the latter with fluid medium irom said container means, said injector including means providing for the introduction of air from the atmosphere into said injector through said inlet for mixture with the fluid medium and for precluding the admittance of water into said injector when said inlet is submerged, and means carried by said last mentioned means for normally maintaining th 1atter above said injector.

6. In means for distending an inflatable flotation device of normally deflated condition, the combination of high pressure fluid medium container. means, an injector having an air inlet subject to submersion in water and provided for connection. between said container means and the flotation device for supplying the latter with fluid medium fromsaid container means, means movablyjconnected to said injector providing for the introduction of air from the atmosphere into said injector throughsaid inlet for mixture with the fluid medium and for precluding the admittance of water into said injector when said inlet is submerged, and weight means carried by said means for normally maintaining the latter above said injector.

7. In means for distending an inflatable flotation device normally in a deflated condition, the combination of a high pressure fluid medium container means, an injector having an air inlet subject to submersion in water and provided for connection between said container and the flotation device for supplying the latter with fluid medium from said container, and means pivotally connected to said injector and providing for the introduction of air from the atmosphere into said injector through said inlet for mixture with the fluid medium and for precluding the admittance of water into said injector when said inlet is submerged, said container being carried by said means and constituting a Weight for normally maintaining said means above said injector.

8. Distending means for an inflatable flotation device, said means comprising container means "for high pressure fluid, means including an injector for providing fluid communication from the container means to the flotation device and including means providing for the admission of air to said communication means, and fluid responsive means adapted to be actuated by said pressure fluid for urging the ingress of air to the injector.

9. Distending means for an inflatable flotation device, said means comprising container means for high pressure fluid, means including an injector for providing fluid communication from the container means to the flotation device and including means providing for the admission of air to said communication means, means including valve means for, controlling said admission means,

and means adapted to be actuated by said pressure fluid for actuating said valve means.

10. Distending means for an inflatable flotation device, said means comprising container means for high pressure fluid, means-including an injector for providing fluid communication from the container means to the flotation device and including means providing for the admission of air to said communication means, means including valve means for controlling said admission means, and means adapted to be actuated by said pressure fluid for actuating said valve means to open position and afiected by liquid for closing said valve means.

11. Distending means for an inflatable flotation device, said means comprising container means for high pressure fluid, means including an injector for providing fluid communication from the container means to the flotation device and including means providing for the admission of air to said communication means, means including valve means for controlling'said admission means, and means adapted to be actuated by said pressure fluid for urging the ingress of air to the injector and for actuating said valve means.

12. Distending means for an inflatable flotation device, said means comprising container means for high pressure fluid, means including an injector for providing fluid communication from the container means to the flotation device and including means providing for the admission of air to said communicationmeans, means including valve means for controlling said admission means, and means adapted to be actuated by said pressure fluid for urging the ingress of air to the injector and for actuating said valve means to open position and affected by liquid for closing the valve means.

13. In combination, an inflatable flotation device, means for injecting an inflating fluid into the device having an inlet for entraining air with the inflating fluid, and means responsive to the immersion of said inlet into a flotation liquid for preventing the entrainment of the liquid.

14. In, combination, an inflatable flotation device adapted forflotation in diflerent operative positions, means having a passageway for injecting an inflating fluid into the device and including a portion having an inlet for entraining air with the'inflating fluid, said portion being movable relative to'said passageway to adjust said inlet according to said difierent positions, and means responsive toimmersion of said inlet in a flotation liquid for preventing the entrainment of this flotation liquid.

15. In combination, an inflatable flotation device adapted for flotation in different operative positions, means having a passageway for injecting an inflating fluid into the device and including a portion having 'an' inlet for entraining air with the inflating fluid, said portion being movable relative to said passageway to adjust saidinlet according to said positions, meansr'esponsive to the positioning of the device in any of said different positions for efiecting the adjusting movement of said inlet, and means responsive to immersion of said inlet in a flotation liquid for preventing the entrainment of this flotation liquid.

16. In combination, an inflatable flotation device adapted for flotation in different operative positions, means having a passageway for injecting an inflating fluid into the device and including a portion having an inlet for entraining air with the inflating fluid, said portion being movable relative to said passageway to adjust said inlet according to said different operative positions, gravity-responsive Weight means including a container for said inflating fluid for effecting the adjusting movement of said inlet, and means responsive to immersion of said inlet in a flotation liquid for preventing the entrainment of this flotation liquid.

WALTER H, FREYGANG. 

